16: Who carved these designs?

Did a sub-tribe of Waitaha carve this? Was it the 'stone people' - the Urekehu? Was it yet another ancient, small and unknown tribe here long before Waitaha emerged? Was it just one Maori experimenting with his version of modern art, trying to be the Picaso in his own time in the same way non-traditional rock carvings appear on the cliff face at Lake Taupo?

In the very old days, tribes would hide valuable carvings and objects. They called them Mauri - treasures. Many old and unusual carvings from pre-Maori days have been found hidden deep in swamps. The Auckland Museum carving already mentioned earlier, is just one example of this. Another are many carved stones found hidden in rivers. The 'puniho' stone is one example of a chiselled stone hauled from a river bed. (You can research this one yourself)

In each of these discoveries, the designs do not resemble any common or known Maori design. Some don’t even resemble any kind of known Polynesian design and there is a specific reason for this. They are not of the origins relating to any usual Polynesian arrivals in any of legendary canoes...at any time.

Now - one discovery of a cave carving that gone under the radar is a particularly interesting carving in the Kohi Gorge, near Waverley in the lower North Island. There, the incised designs were first noted by Europeans in 1925. This image below took a while to find as it was mentioned in documents assessable via license through Tepapa or the National Library of NZ, but most of the notes and all the pictures were inassessable. Once again, ask yourself why. But there are ways around that if you keep searching.

What I want to know is this. Why is this image below hidden from public view unlike the cliff drawings of the South Island by Waitaha? The reason is clear when you see the design. It isn’t anything like any other Maori design, and Maori don’t carve designs in cave walls, they never have.

Below is a carved copy that shows the basic design, not quirte proportional, but much clearer. The second is a photo taken in 968

This is not a Maori design but it is a real native cave carving. And it exists in New Zealand. Are you concerned you have neevr ever seen this motif before? You should be!

When you see articles and pictures like this secreted away in the National Archives, that few if any know about, you really do start to believe there is a coverup as many claim here is. I believe that what has been discovered, and what even I have uncovered is just the tip of what is out there. There must be other people out there that already have or can get access to photo's of artifacts and photos that no one of the public has ever seen. I hope we find such a person.

Here's one link: INCISED DESIGNS, KOHI GORGE SHELTER, NEAR WAVERLEYW. J. PhillippsThe Journal of the Polynesian SocietyVol. 59, No. 2 (June, 1950), pp. 191-196Published by: Polynesian SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20703248

PS.

Since beginning to research for this post I have discovered some more information which is pleasing to know: The site is approximately 1.6km upstream from Kohi Road. NZAA site number Q21/229. The carving covers about 1.2 square metres of a cliff face. The rock carvings are eroding away with the cliff face they are on and a wire enclosure now protects them against graffiti. The carvings are on private land and permission has to be obtained from the landowner if you wish to visit the site of the rock carvings. It is advisable to wear shoes you don’t mind getting muddy – especially after rain.A replica of the rock carvings can be viewed at the South Taranaki District Regional Museum, Egmont Street, Patea.